The Federal Government is losing millions of naira as tax from revenue generated yearly from the lottery and games industry, the Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Senator George Akume, has said.
Akume, who stated this in Lagos at the first National Gaming Conference hosted by the National Lottery Regulatory Commission, expressed concern that for 10 years the government was realising only N 1 billion yearly from the industry when other countries were recording billions of dollars as revenue.
His words: “Nigerians are among the world’s passionate sports fans supporting global sporting events.
“The 2019 reports indicate that gaming in Nigeria, including international stakeholders, generated in excess of N250 billion. Yet, revenue to the government did not exceed N1 billion for the same year. This is not only disappointed. It is unsustainable and unacceptable.’’
He noted: “As we may all be aware, the Lottery Commission was created in 2005 through the Act of the National Assembly to enable the government to properly organise the operation of lottery business in Nigeria that was hitherto an all- comers affair. Various stakeholders have made efforts to enhance revenue generation for the government through the lottery/gaming industry, however, it is saddening to note that lottery revenues continue to fall short of industry potential and expectations largely due to various conflicts of interest.â€
He attributed to this to lack of regulation, adding that it was hindering the government from realising huge revenue from lottery, despite its potential as a wealth generator.
Kidnapped Chairman of the Kaduna State chapter of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria , Apostle Emmanuel Bako, and his wife , Cindy , have regained freedom.
Gunmen , around 8 pm on Christmas day , had invaded the Albarka Prayer Camp at Fadan Kagoma in the Jema ’a Local Government Area of the state and snatched the cleric, his wife and one other person , identified as Douglas.
However, a statement on Sunday by the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Mr Samuel Aruwan , said Bako and his wife were freed on Sunday.
The commissioner said the PFN secretary in Kaduna State , Rev . Tony Inwulale , also confirmed the development to the government.
Aruwan said Governor Nasir El - Rufai expressed relief and happiness over the development and offered his best wishes to the cleric and his wife.
However, the commissioner was silent on Douglas.
“ The Kaduna State Government has been informed by the security agencies of the release of Apostle Emmanuel Bako and his wife , Mrs Cindy Bako on Sunday afternoon by their abductors ,†the statement reads partly.
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IMPORTANT FACT ABOUT TRADING THE FOREIGN EXCHANGE MARKET (FOREX)
~4.8 mins read
There are personal and psychological reasons most traders lose money, but there are also systematic ones. Not everyone can win, so traders without refined processes and mental strength will become the ones that lose.
"Most people who attempt trading indeed lose money. When I worked at a proprietary trading firm people were regularly brought in for training, provided with capital to trade, and on the whole 96% of them washed out, usually within several months. The profitable traders easily made up for all the losses of this much bigger losing group." - Cory Mitchell
Trading, like a sport, is a hierarchy. There are a few traders who make loads of money at the top, then there are people who make a lot, then people who make a living, people who make a little, people who break-even, people who lose, people who lose a lot and people who lose everything.
To be profitable, you need to climb above and be better than those breaking even. How high you climb is up to you. But because it is a hierarchy, not everyone can win. You need to be better than most traders out there, on average, to make money.
Think of trading like golf (or any sport), and being able to make money at it. Millions of people play golf, but only a few thousand, male and female, make good money playing on major tours around the world in any given year. Only a small subset of this make the really big money. Then there are many thousands who make a living playing on smaller tours, being pros at local golf clubs and driving ranges, and doing trick shots or long drive competitions. Then you have a bunch of part-time golfers who are really good and make some money off their friends and/or win scholarships. Then there are millions of others who just golf, and they range from horrible to good…but the golfers above are higher on the food chain. Trading works the same way. To make money at it, we need to work our way up the ladder. We need to better than most people out there…and we need to stay there. Sometimes we are brilliant on one trade, and make money, but unless we stay better, we start losing again. Golfers who were good, but are no longer good, don’t get to keep playing at the top level. We have to perform to stay there. Trading is the same way. We need to work our way up, be better than others in order to make money, and then we need to maintain that. If others get better on average, we need to get better as well, or we will lose ground. Successful trading is not a destination where we get to relax once we get there. We have to continually practice and train ourselves to maintain that level.
If we start lacking discipline or patience or focus, others will overtake and push us down the food chain—we make less money or start losing. Just like any sport, we aren’t going to consistently make money at trading unless we are better than most of the people we are playing against.
Most traders will lose or make very little, in order to “pay” the profitable traders.
If a professional trader made $1 million last year, potentially thousands of small traders lost money or gave up profits to feed the pro’s profits. Other pros contributed to the gain as well, but on the whole, the other pros made more than they lost too. Think of a poker tournament with thousands of people. Most players will win some hands, and even the pros may lose a pot to a weak player every now again, but on the whole, the money slowly shifts to the stronger players. The money the strong players make has to come from somewhere, and it comes from weaker players. Weaker players will continue to give money to the stronger players in tournaments, until on the whole, the weaker player eventually (if ever) becomes better than most, and starts making more than they buy-in for. Trading is the same thing. Every trade we take provides an opportunity for ourselves and someone else. Poor decisions over many trades mean our money goes to people making better decisions (better strategies, better execution, etc). Good decisions mean more money flows to us because we took advantage of the opportunities other traders provided us with their trades/orders.
Profits are created when someone else loses money OR gives up profit. This means that you need to be better, on average, than other market participants, as discussed in the hierarchy above.
If you buy shares and make money, someone else sold you their shares allowing you to profit…they gave up that money to you. Without someone sacrificing those shares you never get the chance to profit. On the exit, you need someone to be there to sell to. Maybe you allow them to profit, or maybe you hand them a steaming bag of crap and they lose. Either way, on the way in and out, someone allowed you to profit or lose. And you allow others to profit or lose with your transactions. The person who does this better, over many trades, is profitable. The person on the losing side of more of these exchanges loses.
Not everyone can win. When you buy, others need to come in after you and be willing to pay higher prices for you to profit. This plays out on all time frames. If you buy and no one comes in after or the sellers are stronger and are willing to sell at lower prices, the price moves against you and you face a loss. Prices don’t move on their own. Buyers and sellers (individuals) push prices, creating losses and profits for those involved, and opportunities to win or lose for those about to get involved. For traders to profit they need to be better at capitalizing on those opportunities than others.
"Pros regularly have losses, just like losing traders, but on average pros make better decisions. The pro held a little longer, squeezing out more profit, not allowing another trader into the position (had the pro sold, someone else would have had the opportunity to profit). Or the pro sold quickly, cut their loss, and handed off a weak trade to someone else. The pro grabs the last few shares as the price starts rising out of a pullback (on average, if that’s their strategy). Anyone buying after them gets in at a worse price and has slightly less profit potential. Since there are pros with all types of strategies for whatever the price does, there are pros everywhere beating less-experienced traders to the punch in terms of getting shares when things look good and using less experienced trader’s orders to get out when the tides turn.” - Cory Mitchell.
When you’re depressed, you can’t just will yourself to “snap out of it.†But these tips can help put you on the road to recovery.
Why is dealing with depression so difficult?
Depression drains your energy, hope, and drive, making it difficult to take the steps that will help you to feel better. Sometimes, just thinking about the things you should do to feel better, like exercising or spending time with friends, can seem exhausting or impossible to put into action.
It’s the Catch-22 of depression recovery: The things that help the most are the things that are the most difficult to do. There is a big difference, however, between something that’s difficult and something that’s impossible. While recovering from depression isn’t quick or easy, you do have more control than you realize—even if your depression is severe and stubbornly persistent. The key is to start small and build from there. You may not have much energy, but by drawing on all your reserves, you should have enough to take a walk around the block or pick up the phone to call a loved one, for example.
Taking the first step is always the hardest. But going for a walk or getting up and dancing to your favorite music, for example, is something you can do right now. And it can substantially boost your mood and energy for several hours—long enough to put a second recovery step into action, such as preparing a mood-boosting meal or arranging to meet an old friend. By taking the following small but positive steps day by day, you’ll soon lift the heavy fog of depression and find yourself feeling happier, healthier, and more hopeful again.
Coping with depression tip 1: Reach out and stay connected
Getting support plays an essential role in overcoming depression. On your own, it can be difficult to maintain a healthy perspective and sustain the effort required to beat depression. At the same time, the very nature of depression makes it difficult to reach out for help. When you’re depressed, the tendency is to withdraw and isolate so that connecting to even close family members and friends can be tough.
You may feel too exhausted to talk, ashamed at your situation, or guilty for neglecting certain relationships. But this is just the depression talking. Staying connected to other people and taking part in social activities will make a world of difference in your mood and outlook. Reaching out is not a sign of weakness and it won’t mean you’re a burden to others. Your loved ones care about you and want to help. And if you don’t feel that you have anyone to turn to, it’s never too late to build new friendships and improve your support network.
How to reach out for depression support
Look for support from people who make you feel safe and cared for. The person you talk to doesn’t have to be able to fix you; they just need to be a good listener—someone who’ll listen attentively and compassionately without being distracted or judging you.
Make face-time a priority. Phone calls, social media, and texting are great ways to stay in touch, but they don’t replace good old-fashioned in-person quality time. The simple act of talking to someone face to face about how you feel can play a big role in relieving depression and keeping it away.
Try to keep up with social activities even if you don’t feel like it. Often when you’re depressed, it feels more comfortable to retreat into your shell, but being around other people will make you feel less depressed.
Find ways to support others. It’s nice to receive support, but research shows you get an even bigger mood boost from providing support yourself. So find ways—both big and small—to help others: volunteer, be a listening ear for a friend, do something nice for somebody.
Care for a pet. While nothing can replace the human connection, pets can bring joy and companionship into your life and help you feel less isolated. Caring for a pet can also get you outside of yourself and give you a sense of being needed—both powerful antidotes to depression.
Join a support group for depression. Being with others dealing with depression can go a long way in reducing your sense of isolation. You can also encourage each other, give and receive advice on how to cope, and share your experiences.
10 tips for staying connected
Talk to one person about your feelings
Help someone else by volunteering
Have lunch or coffee with a friend
Ask a loved one to check in with you regularly
Accompany someone to the movies, a concert, or a small get-together
Call or email an old friend
Go for a walk with a workout buddy
Schedule a weekly dinner date
Meet new people by taking a class or joining a club
Confide in a clergy member, teacher, or sports coach
Tip 2: Do things that make you feel good
In order to overcome depression, you have to do things that relax and energize you. This includes following a healthy lifestyle, learning how to better manage stress, setting limits on what you’re able to do, and scheduling fun activities into your day.
Being successful isn't difficult. However, being extremely successful is difficult. Despite this, we all want to reach extraordinary success (which we all define differently). Unfortunately, there is no magic bullet. There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all solution. However, there are several characteristics that all successful people have in common...especially those who have a huge impact on the lives of others.
Check how many of these apply to you:
1. You find joy in other people's accomplishments.
Great business teams succeed because their most skilled members are prepared to put themselves in harm's way to make others happy. Great teams are made up of employees who help one another, understand their duties, put personal objectives aside, and prioritize team success over all else.
What is the source of that attitude?
"Can you make the option that your happiness will come from the achievement of others?" every successful person responds with a resounding "Yes!"
2. You're always looking for new things to do.
Gambling, drug abuse, attention deficit disorder, and jumping off of perfectly good planes without a parachute are all linked to novelty-seeking—getting bored fast and pouring yourself into new pastimes or activities. Dr. Robert Cloninger, on the other hand, believes that "Novelty seeking is one of the personality attributes that help you stay healthy and happy as you become older. ... You obtain innovation that serves society as a whole when you mix adventurousness and curiosity with tenacity and an understanding that it's not all about you." "To succeed, you need to be able to control your impulses while still having the creativity to imagine what the future would be like if you attempted something new," Cloninger adds.
Sounds like everyone I know is successful.
So go ahead and do it. Embrace your inner explorer of new things. You'll be healthier, have more friends, and be more content with your life in general.
3. You don't consider work/life balance; instead, you consider life.
It's nearly impossible to keep symbolic work/life boundaries. Why? You are your own company. There is no separation since your business is your life, just as your life is your business—which also applies to family, friends, and interests—so there is no separation. Extremely successful people discover methods to embrace family instead of excluding work. They discover methods to incorporate their personal ideals, hobbies, and passions into their daily work lives. If you can't, you're just working, not living.
4. You have a high level of empathy.
Unless you invent something completely new, which is extremely difficult, your business or career is built on meeting a need or solving a problem. Without the ability to put yourself in another person's shoes, it's impossible to identify a need or a problem. That is the sign of a successful entrepreneur. Successful leaders, on the other hand, go a step farther by regularly putting themselves in their colleagues' shoes. Success isn't a straight line that keeps going up. Success is a circle because no matter how big your company gets (or how big your ego gets), it all returns back to your people.
5. You need to prove something to yourself.
Many people are driven by a desire to prove others wrong. That is an excellent incentive. People that are incredibly successful are motivated by something deeper and more personal. True motivation, passion, and commitment stem from a desire to prove something to the most important person in the world.
6. You don't believe in the 40-hour workweek fad.
Working more than 40 hours per week has been shown to reduce productivity in studies. Successful people not only work smarter, but they also work harder than their competitors. (I'm sure every successful entrepreneur I know thinks the same thing when they read those stories.) "That's great. Hopefully, my rivals will believe that nonsense "( Richard North Patterson, the author, offers a fantastic narrative about Robert F. Kennedy. Jimmy Hoffa, the Teamsters' president, was the target of Kennedy's investigation (who some still believe is hanging out in Argentina with Elvis and Jim Morrison). Kennedy worked on the Hoffa case until around 2 a.m. one night. He passed the Teamsters building on his way home and noticed that the lights in Hoffa's office were still on, so he turned around and went back to work.
People who are smarter and more skilled than us will always exist. Successful folks simply have a stronger desire for it. They're vicious in their dealings with one another, especially when it comes to themselves. In other words, they work smarter while also working harder. That is their true key to success.
7. You see money to be a burden rather than a reward.
Buying 17 automobiles, stocking up on pricy antiques, importing Christmas trees, and paying $40,000 a year for a personal massage are all examples of entrepreneurial cautionary tales. Money isn't only a personal reward for successful people; it's also a way to grow a business, reward and develop staff, give back to the community...in short, it's a way to enhance not only their own lives but also the lives of others. Most importantly, they do so quietly, because the actual reward is always in the deed, not the acknowledgement.
8. You don't believe you're noteworthy.
In today's world of social media, everybody can act as their own publicist. Anyone can easily toot their own trumpet and revel in the glory of their knowledge and accomplishments. People that are truly successful do not. They acknowledge that desire, perseverance, and execution were important to their success, but they also acknowledge that key mentors and a large dose of luck played a role. Humility, asking questions, seeking advice, and, most importantly, acknowledging and applauding others pay off for exceptionally successful people because...
9. You understand that success comes and goes, but decency and respect last a lifetime.
It is unquestionably crucial to provide employees with improved salary, perks, and possibilities. However, no amount of money or perks can compensate for the loss of self-esteem and self-worth. The most important thing successful people give their employees, customers, vendors, and everyone else they come into contact with is dignity.
And you should, too, because once you do, everything else falls into place.
Gone are the days when we struggled to understand a few things that were previously unknown to us.
Photos in this article are for the purpose of illustration and views expressed are solely the opinions of the writer. All arguments and opinions should be directed to the writer.
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2023 Elections: Generals In Fresh Move To Rescue PDP
~3.5 mins read
Pencil in Oyinlola, David Mark for national chair, BoT roles
By Taiwo Amodu - Abuja
On Sep 26, 2021
THE imbroglio trailing the job of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Zoning Committee led by the Enugu State governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, will soon be resolved, Sunday Tribune can authoritatively reveal.
A party source privy to the deadlock at the Enugu meeting last week over the zoning arrangement being pushed by the Northern leaders of the party said all other things being equal, the final decision of the committee will be unveiled in Abuja this week.
Investigation revealed that the zoning template of 2017, which zoned the national chairman and presidency between the South/North is what the PDP leaders in the North are scheming should be retained is what will ultimately be endorsed.
Nigerian Tribune had reported that about 28 leaders of the PDP from the North, who met last week in Abuja at the instance of former Police Affairs Minister, Adamu Waziri, canvassed for the retention of the 2017 zoning arrangement which produced Uche Secondus as national chairman from the South and ultimately, Atiku Abubakar from the North as 2019 presidential candidate. The PDP leaders from the North will again meet on Tuesday in Abuja ahead of the formal pronouncement by the Governor Ugwuanyi Committee. In attendance at the last meeting of the group were two former Senate Presidents, Senator Gabriel Suswam, Babangida Aliyu, Atahiru Bafarawa and Sule Lamido, former governors of Benue, Niger, Sokoto and Jigawa states respectively.
Also in attendance were former national chairman of the PDP, Kawu Baraje, former governor of Adamawa, Boni Haruna; former Minister of Special Duties and presidential aspirant, Tanimu Turaki; former woman leader, Hajia Inna Ciroma, amongst others.
Checks revealed that the zoning template has the offices of the national chairman, deputy national chairman (South), national organising secretary, national treasurer, national legal adviser, national publicity secretary and national youth leader in the South-South, South-West and South-East geopolitical zones.
By virtue of the arrangement, the North currently holds the positions of deputy national chairman, national secretary, national financial secretary, national auditor, national woman leader and deputy national secretary respectively.
The party source revealed to Sunday Tribune that certain retired Generals who played strategic roles during the formative stage of the PDP prior to the 1999 election that produced Olusegun Obasanjo had infiltrated the ranks of the southern governors to convince them to moderate their position on zoning of the 2023 presidency to the South.
The source mentioned that, while the emergence of Chief Olagunsoye Oyinlola from South-West as national chairman in the convention slated for next month is a sealed deal, his colleague who is former Senate President, David Mark, is the anointed choice for the position of chairman Board of Trustees.
“Since there is no alteration in the zoning arrangement, the former Senate President will take over the BoT from the incumbent Walid Jibrin from Nasarawa State. Incidentally, Benue, where Mark hails from, is in the North-Central geopolitical zone.”
Tambuwal, Kwankwaso, Atiku, left in the cold?
Further checks revealed that the camp of retired generals in the PDP which has as arrowheads, former civilian president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and former military President, Ibrahim Ba- bangida has since drafted former National Security Adviser, Aliyu Gusau, to shop for a presidential candidate.
He is tasked with looking for a candidate that will appeal to the sentiment of the North and the Southern parts of the country ahead of the presidential convention of the PDP which would come shortly after its October national convention.
Sunday Tribune source said the power bloc is not looking in the direction of any of the presidential aspirants from the North-West as its choice for the 2023 presidential race.
The incumbent President, Muhammadu Buhari, is from the North-West state of Katsina as the late President, Umar Yar’Adua.
Aspirants in the race for the PDP presidential tickets are sitting Sokoto State governor, Aminu Tambuwal; former Kano State governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso; former vice president, Atiku Abubakar and incumbent governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, from North West and North East respectively.
Also in the race is two-term Kwara State governor and former Senate president, Dr Bukola Saraki and former Minister of Special Duties to Dr Goodluck Jonathan, Taminu Turaki.
“The Generals,” according to Sunday Tribune source, “are not looking in the direction of Atiku Abubakar. General Aliyu Gusau who was drafted to Port Harcourt to talk to the Northern delegates to deliver their votes to Atiku in 2018, will be the one to convince him to support the anointed choice.”
Investigation revealed that while the North-West is foreclosed in their permutation, the South-East, which produced the vice-presidential candidate, Peter Obi in the 2019 race, is equally likely to lose the slot to the South-South with Nyesom Wike and Ifeanyi Okowa, sitting governors of Rivers and Delta states, respectively as choices. “The South-East will take the slot of Senate President,” the source further revealed.